My Biggest Mistake When Photographing Bridal Details!

One of my favorite hacks when it comes to shooting your bride’s detail photos is knowing which direction your lighting is coming from! As you know, lighting plays a crucial role in the outcome of all of your photos and those bridal details are no different!

I used to just arrive to a bride’s getting ready room and find some form of clean, window light then start shooting! Some days were better than others – and I mean like WAY better. I had no idea why it was better, what I was doing differently on those good days, and why some days things just clicked like they were supposed to! I began studying those shots that I loved and tried so hard to remember my exact set up to try to find that moment where things went right. I quickly realized my Biggest mistake was so simple! I had spent so much time focusing on clean, colorless light that I never thought to look at the direction of the light also! – Looking back it is so clear now because if directional light makes a difference in every other portion of a wedding day, wouldn’t it change my detail shots also?!

Those days where my detail shots just weren’t working was all because I was letting the light hit my details straight on! There was no soft light, no directional light, and no soft shadows to create dimension. I was getting harsh shadows and highlights and flat lighting that added no dimension to show off my bride’s special details!

Now when I enter s bride’s room I immediately look for soft, colorless window light, that will hit my details at a slight angle to create dimension! The best lighting angle to look for is anywhere around 90 degrees because this will allow for your shadows and highlights to hit your details in a way that will add soft and simple dimension that will make all of your brides details pop!